Bio courtesy of Propaganda Media Group Inc.
An iconoclastic hero of alt-country, Americana, college radio and modern folk, Snider's influences are the likes of Randy Newman, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Born in Portland, OR, he moved to Santa Rosa, CA, after high school and learned to play the harmonica. His brother, living in Austin, TX, figured Todd might find a job in a band there so he sent him a plane ticket. After seeing Jerry Jeff play in a local bar, Snider indeed decided that was what he wanted to do with his life.
During a mid-'80s stint in Memphis where he established a residency at the Daily Planet club, he was discovered by Keith Sykes, a member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. John Prine then hired Snider as an assistant and eventually had him open shows. When Buffett heard Snider's demos, he signed him to his MCA imprint Margaritaville Records. His debut album, 1994's Songs For The Daily Planet, starred "Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues" as well as "Alright Guy," "Trouble," "You Think You Know Somebody," "Easy Money" and "That Was Me."
For 1996's Step Right Up, Snider and his band, the Nervous Wrecks, continued blending bluegrass, blues, folk-rock and country-rock to forge their own distinctive sound. That Was Me reprises its "Enough," "Hey Hey," "Moon Dawg's Tavern," "Horseshoe Lake," "Tension," "Better Than Ever Blues (Part Two)," "Late Last Night" and "Side Show Blues." 1998's Viva Satellite contributes "Can't Complain," "Guaranteed" and "Doublewide Blues."
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Bio courtesy of Waxy Silver Records
Will Kimbrough's resume as both songwriter and guitarist is as impressive as they come. As songwriter and frontman for Will and the Bushmen, Kimbrough crafted hugely popular southeastern independent pop. Alongside bassist Mike Grimes and Government Cheese's Tommy Womack, he created a no-nonsense, unapologetic rock band with the Bis-Quits. As a guitarist, Kimbrough has played with some of the best of the independent rock and alt-country scenes, including Kim Richey, Todd Snider, Garrison Starr, Matthew Ryan and Josh Rouse. Along the way, he has honed the songwriting sensibilities that made Will and the Bushmen such a popular act. The results have been Kimbrough's critically loved solo debut This, and now Home Away.
"This is my Double Fantasy or whatever you want to call it," Kimbrough confesses. His comparison to John Lennon's lovely exploration of his own family is apt. Home Away is a study in the life of a family grown beyond the platitudes of teen-pop songs and rock and roll bluster. Instead, this is a life everyone leads - filled with tiny victories, setbacks, mortgages and bills to pay. "I'm talking about my version of what home is and having a family and trying to be a grownup," Kimbrough says. "Everybody's got one of those stories. This is mine."
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Bio courtesy of tommywomack.com
My name is Tommy Glynn Womack. Skot Willis once said I was the craziest person he’d ever met who had his life together. Todd Snider says I’m the only person he’s ever met in Nashville who’s crazier than he is. So I must be crazy, I guess. I can’t tell. Crazy for most folks must just be what normal feels like for me.
I make records, I write. I play shows. And being an artist of, shall we say, minor repute, I am also compelled to spend my Mondays through Fridays at a company that employs 18,000 people, maintains a zero-tolerance drugs and alcohol policy, and - thankfully for me so far - an apparent zero-enforcement of such. Hell, I’d love them to piss-test me, actually; I’ll walk in there with a fresh hot cup of urine and a fistfull of prescriptions and say "yeah, I’m good for that, i’m good for that, and I’m good for that! And as for THAT, well that’s to keep me off the third-floor ledge of the building I work in, naked, with a spray-paint can in my hand and a whole lot to get off my chest!"
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All those on the lookout for pure, untainted rock ’n’ roll can stop their search.With each note of Will Hoge’s songs, the musician’s dedication to producing only the most sincere rock ’n’ roll is evident. With a voice that’s sometimes gritty, sometimes raspy, but always on the mark, Hoge’s ability to evoke emotion in his listeners is almost unparalleled.
Raised in the rural town of Franklin, Tenn., Hoge was deeply exposed to Southern rock, an influence that is obvious in his style of both songwriting and singing. Hoge’s songs incorporate the sounds of such bands as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, while modifying them to make his music distinctly his own.
After discovering his musical talent in college, Hoge took his act on the road, building a powerful grass-roots fan base through extensive touring. His earnest rock ’n’ roll sparked the interest of Atlantic Records, which proved to be a negative experience for Hoge and his band.
But this annoyance hasn’t prevented him from doing what both he and his fans love: releasing albums and touring. After putting out four studio albums and a live recording, Hoge now plans to release two CDs, the first coming in early 2006. He was tight-lipped about the direction of the new album, but he plays many of the new songs while on tour, all of which continue in Hoge’s vein of unadulterated rock ’n’ roll.
That’s not necessarily the case for Peter Cooper, whose first life finds him working as one of America’s most prominent music journalists: The kind that gets to sit and talk with Neil Young, Kris Kristofferson and the like. His work is featured in the pages of the Nashville Tennessean and in books, magazines and liner notes, and he’s a frequent presence on national and international television and radio programs. That’s him talking about music and musicians on CNN, MSNBC, CNN, the BBC, CMT, the Biography Channel and other outlets.
But that’s also him performing on stages from Prairie Home Companion to Nashville’s hallowed Bluebird Café, or harmonizing, playing bass and co-writing a song on Todd Snider’s The Devil You Know album (Universal/New Door), or batting songs across a Nashville stage with Nanci Griffith, or working in the studio with Emmylou Harris or Ricky Skaggs.
Cooper’s second life has been of the quasi-underground variety until 2005. But lately he’s been touring regularly with Snider and on his own, and he’s recorded a stripped-down, five-song mini-album called The Clown Juice EP, with music best categorized as “The stuff that used to be called something else but is now ‘Americana.’”
Created in a few days at the same East Nashville studio used for Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose album, The Clown Juice EP finds Cooper singing and playing unaccompanied, save for touches of harmony from Eric Brace and for the remarkably intuitive steel guitar work from the legendary Lloyd Green. A member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, Green was an integral part of classic albums by The Byrds, Don Williams, Charley Pride, Ricky Skaggs and others. He’s never been heard like this, though, with his steel taking prominence in the soundscape and serving as an instrumental foil for these wryly sad lyrics about sin, boozing, and the quirks of musical and personal ancestry.
In concert, Cooper delivers these songs troubadour style and tells stories – some with melodies, some without.
“Peter is a Tom T. Hall/ Kris Kristofferson freak, and I think it shows for the good,” Snider told Amazon.com. Hall himself has offered praise for Cooper’s performances, pegging him to sing Hall’s own “Mama, Bake A Pie” during a tribute concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Another of Cooper’s inspirers, Jason Ringenberg of Jason & The Scorchers, noted Cooper’s “Quick wit and honest voice that would have made Roger Miller proud,” while Eric Brace (himself a double-life guy who writes for the Washington Post and fronts acclaimed touring band Last Train Home) called Cooper “One of the most daring and excellent songwriters in Nashville.”
Adrienne Young
Bio courtesy of adrienneyoung.com
Fusing past and present in her pop-inflected old time music, Young applies a worldly compassion, a poet’s pen and a spirit of independence and self-reliance to The Art of Virtue out June 28 on her own Addiebelle Records (distributed by Virtual Label / Ryko).
Inspired in part by Ben Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues (justice, frugality and humility, to name three) and stories from an older and perhaps wiser America, Young expands upon the themes of cultivation and stewardship so beautifully asserted on her acclaimed debut Plow to the End of the Row. With Virtue, Young makes a statement both personal and universal, both idealistic and constructive.
The theme came to Young as she pondered the outcome of last fall’s presidential campaign and how “moral virtues” were leveraged during the election.
“There seems to be a growing passion – collectively and individually - to understand the foundation of our American culture and how we’ve turned from that,” states Young. “Personally, it steered me back toward a time when our country was rooted in agrarian ideals and words were powerful enough to begin a new world. Ben Franklin had such a practical approach toward nurturing virtue, the first point being nobody’s perfect.”
Art of Virtue - most of which she wrote or co-wrote - was produced by Young with able assistance from long-time collaborator Will Kimbrough and acoustic recording genius Gary Paczosa. Besides Young’s accomplished songwriting, the 15 tracks include old-time fiddle tunes reimagined for a new day, the gospel standard “Farther Along,” and the Grateful Dead’s classic anthem of renewal “Brokedown Palace.” The message is consistent: every choice we make, from the food we buy to the channels we watch to the history we do or don’t preserve, has consequences. Our standards can be higher, she says, despite the many forces that seem to corrode them. Few songwriters can negotiate this terrain with ease and assurance, but Young is one who can.
Heidi Howe
bio courtesy of sonicbids.com
Heidi Howe is a singer/ songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky, she's recorded three albums in the last five years, all infused with her signature integration of rockabilly stomp, country balladry and sassy attitude.
She currently hosts a songwriter showcase called "Heidi's One Night Stand" in Louisville. She’s won first place in the WAMZ Battle of the Bands contest and in the LEO Reader's Choice awards for Best Country Band. She's opened for Todd Snider, The Be Good Tanya's, Kim Richey, Paul Thorn, Jerry Douglas, Billy Joe Shaver and other nifty folks.
TV’s Rue McClanahan says Heidi is a “real pistol”, and Dave Higgs, host of Bluegrass Breakdown on Nashville Public Radio, says he enjoys Heidi's “unique voice and cool songs.” If you need more convincing, Tracey Guhl of KPFT in Houston, TX says that Heidi is “Simply brilliant...great songs, great voice...in short, the bomb.” Go to www.heidihowe.com and check her out for yo’self.
*Heidi also performs fun, educational programs for children and families. She conducts songwriting workshops for all ages and music workshops for children.
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bio courtesy of echotunes.com
On his new album Tangerine, David Mead moves beyond his singer-songwriter roots to create a more expansive sound. Mead wanted a record that was “a combination of very high pop tempered with a sensibility that’s alot more about being a solo artist than a singer-songwriter.”
Teaming with producer/multi-instrumentalist Brad Jones (Jill Sobule, Josh Rouse, Butterfly Boucher), he created an eclectic pop album featuring 12 original songs. Mead plays nearly a dozen different instruments and is joined by Jones on bass, calliope, piano & other instruments, Lindsay Jamieson on drums & percussion, Chris Carmichael on violin & viola and David Henry, cello.
Lyrically, much of the material deals with married love.“When I got married," Mead says, "I sort of bought into this model that my parents laid out, assuming that some level of normalcy would accompany it. But it doesn’t. Life gets much weirder, actually.”
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Blake Guthrie
bio courtesy of Blake Guthrie
Blake Guthrie is a freelance writer and award-winning singer/songwriter based in Atlanta, GA. He was the first journalist to do a feature story on John Mayer, and his stories on other songwriting legends like Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, Jonathan Richman and Todd Snider have also been well received.
He has won or been a finalist in numerous songwriting competitions, including the Eddies Attic Open Mic Shootout, the Independent Music Awards, the KRCL Performing Songwriter Showcase and the International Songwriting Competition. For two-years in a row he was selected as Critics Choice for Best Singer/Songwriter in Atlanta by Creative Loafing, the largest newsweekly in the Southeast.
He can be reached through his website, http://blakeguthrie.com or his MySpace page, http://myspace.com/blakeguthrie
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David Olney
Legendary Folk-Blues Performer/Songwriter David Olney and his live performances with multi-instrumentalist Sergio Webb are converting new audiences while continuing to give the fans what they want. MTV's Urge.com witnessed a recent show and testified, "Olney Unbound...part Baptist preacher, part caustic comedian, and part existential bluesman... Olney shouted, moaned and howled his sharply observed hard-luck tales and quirky character studies. Webb, who looks like he stepped out of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, provided a dizzying array of textures, employing unconventional techniques"
Awarded the "People's Choice" at the Moab Folk Festival in November and having played the Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park & the Kerrville (TX) Wine & Music Festival this past Fall, David & Sergio are touring as a duo in support of Mr. Olney's critically acclaimed current studio album - "ONE TOUGH TOWN" (Red Parlor Records). The new CD has earned a spot on several 2007 "Best Of" lists online and in The Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle, The Nashville Scene (TN), The Montreal Gazette (Canada), Rhythms Magazine (Australia) and others.
The prolific David Olney infuses his live performances with with an intensity that converts many new listeners into die-hard fans. Olney's intelligent compositions radiate that same intensity, many of which have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, Lonnie Brooks, James King, Slaid Cleaves, Dale Ann Bradley, Tom Rozum, Ann Rabson, Kevin Welch/ Keiran Kane/ Fats Kaplin and others.
Full Bio/Media Kit/Downloadable photos online: http://www.davidolney.com/
(Press page)
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"As the title track notes, it's not just one tough town, but a tough planet. I saw Olney playing at a festival this spring and thought he looked like a FEDORA-SPORTING, fiftysomething HIGH-SCHOOL PRINCIPAL who'd SUDDENLY GONE BERSERK and was using his acoustic guitar like it was a weapon. Love this crazy guy, LOVE THIS RECORD."
-- Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle"Olney stands out LIKE A JALAPENO IN A BOWL OF VANILLA PUDDING in Nashville. One Tough Town, A BRILLIANT SAMPLING OF AMERICAN MUSIC from blues and rockabilly to New Orleans swing and NOIR FOLK, adds another top-notch effort to a prolific string of fine records. "Sweet Poison" is a shot of rockabilly so stout it should make most of the current crop of pompadoured fakers sell their instruments and go back to 40-hour weeks at Burger King. ... a TRUE GENIUS of American song."
-- Houston (TX) Press
"One Tough Town shows Olney at his lightest. As usual, though, darkness runs through much of the Nashvillian's work, from the BLUESY RAWNESS of 'Sweet Poison' to the biblical gravity of the GOSPEL-FLAVORED 'See How the Mighty Have Fallen.' And his version of Townes Van Zandt's 'Snake Song' positively DRIPS WITH MENACE. He has written some audacious, in-character songs over his distinguished four-decade career, but David Olney has perhaps outdone himself with 'Who's the Dummy Now?'"
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Few are capable of spinning such colorful and multi-layered yarns with so little excess fat. On this fine new release, Olney spans the gamut from OBSTREPEROUS GLEE to NAKED TERROR. He hits the mark consistently throughout the album."
-- American Songwriter Magazine (July/Aug 2007)
"Previously, with his gruff voice and GUTBUCKET ARRANGEMENTS, Olney has recalled the later Tom Waits; on One Tough Town, that comparison remains valid, although one also should mention Leon Redbone as a model. In his songwriting, OLNEY CONTINUES TO DELIGHT in imaginative explorations of historical and invented characters and situations."
-- AllMusic.com
"[Olney's] songwriting consists of fairly ELABORATE STORIES GUSSIED UP with choruses SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SING ALONG. For David Olney, the written word is sacrosanct."
-- Songs:Illinois Blogger Craig Bonnell,
http://songsillinoismp3.blogspot.com/
"A rare chance to catch a fiery, literary, tour de force up close and personal."
-- The Portland (OR) Tribune
"David Olney is astounding... gave one of the most magnificent solo acoustic shows I have seen and that includes concerts by Bruce Springsteen, Guy Clark or anyone else you'd care to name. He can break your heart but he can also chill your spine."-- Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
³Olney's deep, hard-nosed voice remains as clear and unforgiving as a punch to the face, and, as always, it's his songs of love, with their focus on tenderness and redemption, that do the most lasting damage.²
-- Michael McCall, Nashville Scene
"David Olney tells marvelous stories, with characters who cling to the hope of enduring love, all the while crossing the deep divide into that long dark night of the soul. They are saints and charlatans, gypsies and thieves, the ordinary and extraordinary."
--Emmylou Harris
"Anytime anyone asks me who my favorite music writers are, I say Mozart, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bob Dylan and Dave Olney. Dave Olney is one of the best songwriters I've ever heard - and that's true. I mean that from my heart."
-- Townes Van Zandt
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Mary Sack Management
P.O. Box 330911
Nashville, TN 37203-7506
P: 615.275.7225
F: 615.356.8257
E: MusicSack@comcast.net
DAVID OLNEY - "One Tough Town" - Awarded BEST OF 2007 in:
The Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle
The Morning Call (PA)
The Nashville Scene
The Montreal Gazette (Canada)
Rhythms Magazine (Australia)
Americana Music Association's 2007 Top 100 Albums
FolkRadio.org's Top Artists of 2007
WIKX-Radio/Port Charlotte, FL - "Cookin'" w/ Larry T
Freight Train Boogie.com
And many blogs online!
TOMMY WOMACK - "There, I Said It!" - Awarded BEST OF 2007 in:
No Depression Magazine "Critics Poll" & "Readers Poll"!
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Tennessean
The Nashville Scene
Rhythms Magazine (Australia)
AltCountry.nl (Holland)
AmericanaUK (United Kingdom)
Americana Music Association's 2007 Top 100 Albums
XM Satellite Radio's X-Country Channel 12 "Top 50"
WFPK/Louisville, KY "Top Albums"
"Louisville Radio Hall of Fame" Countdown - Top 300 Listener Favorites
WIKX-Radio/Port Charlotte, FL - "Cookin'" w/ Larry T
WRIU/Peace Dale, RI "Boudin Barndance"
CKUW/Winnepeg (Canada) "TwangTrust"
Cashville411.com "Top Singles" and "Top Albums"
And many, many blogs online!
GOTTA SEE THIS ONLINE: http://marysackmanagement.googlepages.com/home